# Backyard Pilot vs RC Helicopter Flight Simulator

The clearest difference is rating: RC Helicopter Flight Simulator at 4.4 against Backyard Pilot's 3.9. RC Helicopter Flight Simulator also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ratings volume (3.8K vs 645). Backyard Pilot's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (70% vs 53%). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backyard Pilot sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. RC Helicopter Flight Simulator asks for nothing beyond the download.

RC Helicopter Flight Simulator holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RC Helicopter Flight Simulator has 3.8K ratings behind it against 645, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of Backyard Pilot's written reviews are positive against 53% of RC Helicopter Flight Simulator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Backyard Pilot ships an update every 11 months, RC Helicopter Flight Simulator every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backyard Pilot | RC Helicopter Flight Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (645 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-pilot/id429116457/reviews) | **[4.4 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rc-helicopter-flight-simulator/id1068979139/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 645 | **3.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **69.6% of reviews** | 53.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 8 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 106 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **4.3** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Quantum Design Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/419048022) | [Attribute](https://appshunter.io/developer/1413734661) |

## What reviewers say

### Backyard Pilot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-pilot/id429116457)

Pilot a plane from airport to airport, delivering cargo and passengers. Experience the thrill of flight with 28 engaging levels, no flight school required.

**Highlights:** Pilot your own plane, Deliver cargo and passengers, Airport to airport travel, 28 levels of gameplay, Casual flight simulation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MD90 Passenger Jet | $0.99 | one-time |
| 737 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Airport Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |
| Cargo Jet | $1.99 | one-time |
| C17 Cargo Plane | $1.99 | one-time |
| Military Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Passenger Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Cargo Plane Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Helicopter Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Spaceship Pack | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Relaxing game
- 🚀 Fun and entertaining
- 🚀 Great time killer
- 👍 Awesome game
- 👍 Decent game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🐛 Difficult controls
- 🐛 Unrealistic flight mechanics
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on startup
- Runway and landing strips don't move
- Can't land planes properly
- Planes fall to the ground for no reason

**Requested features**

- Update the game for latest iOS versions
- Add more planes and aircraft types
- Improve graphics and realism
- Add more gameplay modes and challenges
- Improve tutorial and instructions


### RC Helicopter Flight Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rc-helicopter-flight-simulator/id1068979139)

Experience realistic RC helicopter flight in a 3D simulator. Complete diverse missions, from rescues to combat, or explore freely in sandbox mode. Master challenging levels and unlock new tools to become an expert pilot.

**Highlights:** Realistic RC helicopter flight, 20 diverse missions, Sandbox mode, Unlockable tools (magnets, wrecking ball), Progressive difficulty, 3D Chinook helicopter model

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate and amazing helicopter controls
- 👍 Relaxing and challenging gameplay
- 🕹️ Fun RC helicopter simulation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Lack of content and repetitive missions
- 📢 Excessive and disruptive advertisements

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing during tutorial
- Inability to complete certain levels
- Unresponsive controls

**Requested features**

- More levels and game modes
- Improved controls and physics
- Ability to spawn objects in sandbox mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backyard Pilot free?

Backyard Pilot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is RC Helicopter Flight Simulator free?

RC Helicopter Flight Simulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Backyard Pilot or RC Helicopter Flight Simulator?

RC Helicopter Flight Simulator is rated higher. Backyard Pilot averages 3.9 out of 5 from 645 ratings, while RC Helicopter Flight Simulator averages 4.4 from 3.8K ratings.

### Do Backyard Pilot or RC Helicopter Flight Simulator have ads?

RC Helicopter Flight Simulator shows ads; Backyard Pilot does not.

### Which is updated more often, Backyard Pilot or RC Helicopter Flight Simulator?

Backyard Pilot ships an update every 11 months, and RC Helicopter Flight Simulator every 8 months. Most recently, Backyard Pilot was updated on September 29, 2026 and RC Helicopter Flight Simulator on October 17, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*